The XR Association (XRA) has welcomed several high-level members to its organisation, including some of the world’s top tech and advisory firms, it announced on Thursday in a statement seen by XR Today.
The newly-expanded roster includes key industry leaders such as video game software firm Unity Technologies, tech components manufacturer Qualcomm, and tech advisory firm Accenture.
Due to unprecedented growth in the extended reality (XR) industry, onboarding the new entrants will allow the XRA to tackle challenges and create new solutions for the future of the sector.
The Washington, DC-based association has become a leading institution for the global XR sector by serving as a platform for dialogue, research, and analysis, as well as for creating roadmaps for the development of a responsible, ethical industry.
Members joining the XRA collaborate via three key concepts — community, leadership, and advocacy — allowing all groups to network and work jointly, attract and build new client bases, develop legislative and public policy initiatives, and discuss the future of the rising XR market.
Statements from New Members
Many of the XRA’s lastest members attended the Limitless Future Conference > XR for Learning and Development, which offered a platform for discussing new techniques and insights on using virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (VR/AR/MR) solutions to train, educate and recruit global workforces.
Elizabeth Hyman, Chief Executive of the XRA, said she was “excited” to welcome the new members to the growing organisation, adding,
“These companies are on the cutting-edge of XR technology. They are introducing products and applications that are, quite literally, shaping the future of computing. It is only through diverse expertise and collaboration that we can achieve XRA’s mission”
Aaron Kleiner, Director of Government Affairs and Public Policy for Unity, added his firm believed the world was “transitioning” from static, two-dimensional, and non-realtime content to “spatially and contextually aware” interactive experiences with real-time 3D [RT3D] content.
He continued, stating,
“XR is a critical piece to achieving this new form of content creation and consumption and we look forward to collaborating with the XRA to ensure – as a community – we are advancing together”
Kleiner is set to represent Unity Technologies after it joins the XRA Board of Directors. Dan Guenther, Managing Director and XR Lead for Accenture and Monique Rodriguez, Vice-President of Government Affairs for Qualcomm, will also represent their respective companies.
Guenther said his firm had a long understanding of XR’s transformative capabilities for learning and connecting with others, adding,
“The recent excitement around the metaverse has accelerated this trend, signifying a new, timely convergence of physical and digital worlds on a global scale”
He concluded that Accenture was “confident” his team would work with the XRA to advance the industry’s development and adoption globally.
XR Association Developments
Guenther’s statement comes months after his company adopted 60,000 Oculus Quest 2 headsets in October to provide onboarding and Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion (DE&I) training for new hires.
Additional members joining the XRA include Foundry 45, GameDriver, Friends with Holograms, Cognixion, OVR Technology, and the WXR Venture Fund.
The XRA is the world’s leading organisation for representing the global XR industry and features founding members Google, HTC VIVE, Oculus from Facebook, Microsoft, and Sony Interactive Entertainment, among others.
The XRA’s Joan O’Hara spoke with XR Today about her organisation’s mission to develop best practices for the global XR industry, build institutional frameworks and policies for emerging technologies, as well as incorporate such technologies in public spending legislation linked to President Joe Biden’s Green New Deal, or US Innovation and Competition Act (USICA).
Nick Clegg, Meta Platform’s Global Comms Chief, also noted he planned to work with the XRA to develop best practices for its new Metaverse technologies as well as to safeguard its users.
